Sitting on the terrace, marium and meerab was chit chatting after a long time.

"Waise bhabi, ek baat batao gaon ke bazar mein gayi thi aap?", marium ask her while eating cookies.

"Nahi marium. Main nhi gayi", meerab said.

"Aap bekar mein gaon se ghum kar aa gayi phir to. Udhar kitni khubsurat churiyan milti hain", marium uttered.

"All thanks your brother", she said in annoyed tone.

"Accha... Aise kis kaam mein busy the dono? Ke udhar gaye hi nhi?", marium teased her.

Meerab almost spit her coffee. Her face turn red.

"Kya bak rahi ho marium. Astagfirullah"

Marium looked at her for a moment before uttering," for god sake bhabi. You're married. Ain't you're?"

"Yes i'm so what? Bolu ja kar maa begum ko kya sab bakwas kar rahi ho?"

"Arre bhabi.... Main mazak kar rahi thi bas", marium laughed.

"Not so funny"

"Forget about it. Shopping pe chale?", marium exclaimed with excitement.

"Aaj nhi please... Mera paon bohot dard kar raha hai", meerab spat.

"Okay... Kuch din baad chalenge", marium said. Meerab hummed at this.

******

"Murtasim lao do main tumhari patti [bandage] badal deti hun", haya said with an extra sweet smile.

"Iski koi zarurat nhi hai haya main kar lunga. Tun jao yahan se", he said without Looking at her.

"Main kar deti hun waise bhi tumhari biwi ko fursat hi kahan jo tumhare bare mein soche. , haya played the card.

She took out the first aid kit. Sitting beside him she held his hand.

"Haath chhoro mera", he snapped.

"Marham laga deti hun na main. Tumhari toh marium ke sathe baithi hui hai, ek bar bhi tumhein nhi pucha", haya said.

"Tum dekh rahi ho na. Ek acchi behen ki tarah Murtasim ka dhayan rakh rahi ho toh meri kya zarurat bolo", they heard meerab.

Her hands are folded near her chest. Eyes fiery and dark. He looked at her form. She was angry but giving a forced smile. Haya' face fall.

"Tumhein kyaad aaya ke tumhare sohar ko chot lagi hai? Kaisi biwi ho tum meerab. Tum murtasim ka khayal bhi nhi rakhti", she heard haya. Her blood was boiling now.

"Waise chot toh mujhe bhi lagi hai, mera sohar toh meri khidmat nhi kar raha, toh main kyun karun? Tum aram se murtasim ki care taker bano I don't care.

"Tum galat samajh rahi ho Meerab", he trailed off. Standing up from his place.

"Maine explaination manga?", she said sarcastically while going towards the dressing table. Opening a drawer she took out a cream. Throwing it on haya's lap she said,

"Yeh laga dena. Kya pata jaldi thik ho jaye. Tum usse dard mein nhi dekh sakti na".

As she was leaving the room she heard Murtasim calling her name.

"Meerab"

She didn't replied anything and left the room.

"Dekh liya murtasim yeh toh tumhari izzat bhi nhi karti", haya said.

"Tum jao yaar mera dimag mat kharab karo", he exclaimed angrily. Haya retired from there.

She saw marium going downstairs. She asked her to stop.

"Boliye bhabi kya hua?"

"If you don't mind kya main aaj tumhare room mein so sakti hun?"

"Ofcourse, ismein puchne wali baat hi kahan hai. Apka jab mann kare aap so sakti hain. I would like to share my room with you", marium was looking happy.

"Thank you so much sweetheart", meerab exclaimed with a smile.

"Waise ek baat puchun bhabi?"

"Hmm pucho?"

"Bhai se jhagda hua hai kya apka?"

"Nhi nhi aisa kuch nhi hai", meerab said with a fake laugh.

"Okay.... Phir aaj movie dekhenge dono raat ko. Chill karenge aram se"

"Main apna pillow aur blanket le kar aati hun thik hai!

"Okay... Main room mein hun aap aa jayein", saying this marium left towards her room.

As she entered in the room she saw him standing near the window. Without uttering anything she walked towards their walk in closet. After changing her cloths she came out, He looked at her before asking,

"Kya ho gaya hai tumhein yaar meerab?"

"Main tumhein jawab deh nhi hun", she snapped out.

"Yeh sab kya natak lagaya hai tumne haan?"

"Yeh baat kabhi tumne khud se puchi hai?", she asked him back.

He was silent at her question. She glared at him.

"Tum haya ko kyun suna rahi thi yaar. Usko bura bhi lag sakta tha. Thoda tameez aur izzat se baat karna sikho tum", he said and boom.

"Ohh... Toh yeh masla hai ki kahin haya ji ko bura na lag jaye meri baaton ka. Bhaad mein jao tum aur tumhari haya.Mujhe ghanta fark nhi padta", she said looking at him angrily.

"Aur rahi baat izzat ki toh woh kamani padti hai. Na toh tum meri taraf se izzat ke haqdar ho aur na hi woh haya"

"Meerab bas karo aab. Kalesh karna zaruri hai kya?", he uttered a bit loudly.

"Koi kalesh nhi kar rahi main samjhe. Apna yeh volume kam rakho aayi samajh", Saying this she poked his chest with her index finger. His eyes widened.

"Battameez", he huffed and left the room while closing the door with a loud noice.

"Begairat insaan", she yelled back throwing the pillow on the door.

*****

After smoking cigarettes And slapping himself mentally for again arguing with her,he walked in their room only to find it empty.

"Meerab", he called out her name but didn't get any reply.

"Meerab are you in washroom?", he asked while knocking the door. Again didn't get any reply. The door was unlocked, bed and couch was empty, she was missing. His heart sank into a lake of fear.

'Where she was gone?' He thought in his mind. 'Is She's that much angry that she left the house?' He again thought.

Sitting on the couch he hid his face in his palms. What the hell is going on in his life. He was clueless why her absense is disturbing him. He was clueless why he was craving ti see her face.

"Agar iss bar aisa kuch hua na,then it will be the end of you murtasim", he said to himself.

His mind suggested him to ask marium about her but it's already midnight. He hesitantly knocked his sister's room door.

"Marium open the door", he said while knocking the door.

"Kya hai?", Meerab opened the door while rubbing her eyes.

"Tum yahan kya kar rahi ho?", he asked her.

"Aree main toh Camical locha kar rahi hun. Obviously so rahi thi main", she said in irritated tone.

"Apna takiya lo aur room mein chalo", he said.

"Kyun?", she asked raising a brow.

"Kyun ki main bol raha hun", he said.

"First of all Main nhi jaa rahi. Main nhi so sakti uss couch pe paon mein bandage aur body mein pain le kar", she uttered.

"Accha, thik hai bed pe so jaana tum", he said hesitantly.

"Jao main aati hun", she replied. 

He nodded and left from there. She took her pillow and blanket and while taking her steps towards her room.

She threw those stuffs on the bed. She saw him sitting on the couch. Taking a pillow from the bed she flung it towards him.

"Jaise wahan baithe ho, wahin raho. Hum dono mein 4 feet ka distance rehna chahiye", she uttered his a month old dialogue.

"Matlab main couch pe sounga?", he asked.

"Wait", she said showing him her palm. She took out a measuring tape. Took a measure of the bed.

"4 feet matlab 48 inches right. Toh agar main yahan soyi toh tape ke mutabik tumhein niche floor pe sona padega. Do you have any matteress?"

He nodded her head in a no.

"So it's better to sleep on the couch instead of floor. Right?", she asked.

"You..."

"Saying anything to me?"

"No... I'm sorry. Just give me my blanket please", he said trying his best to control his anger.

"Sure", saying this she walked towards him handing him the blanket. She noticed his wound.

"Bandage change nhi kiya? tumhari haya ne?", she asked teasingly.

"Woh kyun karegi?", he asked.

"Khair jane dete hain"

"Yeh taana marna band karo yaar tum", he said in a irritated tone.

"Toh taane sunne wale kaam hi kyun karta ho", she replied sarcastically.

She took the first aid kit and bent down in her knees in front of him. Holding his wounded hand she genty changed his bandage.

"Thank you", he uttered softly.

"You're not welcome", she replied.

After washing  her hands she laid down on the bed facing the ceiling. On the other side he was feeling really uncomfortable in the couch. It's a little small for his giant body.

"Agar yeh mujhse gussa nhi hoti na toh yeh naubat hi nhi aati", he muttered in his breath.

He saw her sleeping Peacefully on the bed. While admiring her beautiful face he fall asleep too.

To be continue....

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